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Celestial Events

The Planets this Week

Mercury is visible at dusk until mid-February: scan the west-southwest horizon with binoculars, about 20 minutes after sunset. The tiny planet, very bright at the beginning of this evening apparition, will gradually become fainter; but it also gains altitude, which will make it easier to spot. Mercury will appear to climb toward Mars: the two planets meet, passing less than one degree apart on the evenings of February 7 and 8. Mercury is the brighter of the two. The thin crescent moon will hang above Mercury and Mars at dusk on February 11.
Venus, the Morning Star, is getting too close to the sun and becomes lost in the glare of sunrise in February; it will pass behind the sun (superior conjunction) on March 28.
Mars appears at dusk, low on the southwest horizon, and sets around 6:15 p.m. Mercury will appear to climb toward Mars: the two planets meet, passing less than one degree apart on the evenings of February 7 and 8. Mars is the fainter of the two. The thin crescent moon will hang above Mercury and Mars at dusk on February 11. Mars vanishes in the glare of twilight after mid-February.
Jupiter appears at dusk above the southeast horizon and culminates high in the south around 7:00 p.m. Jupiter is currently near the Hyades star cluster, in Taurus. The first quarter moon will be near Jupiter on the evenings of February 17 and 18.
Saturn is visible during the last part of the night. The ringed planet appears above the east-southeast horizon around 12:30 a.m. and culminates about 30 degrees high in the south around 5 a.m. The waning gibbous moon will be near Saturn on the morning of March 2.

Current and Upcoming Events

Transit of Venus, June 5, 2012: see our special report

Past Astronomical Events

Eclipses, conjunctions,
meteor showers...
Find out "What's Up:"
read The Pocket Planetarium,
our seasonal
astronomical newsletter!

The Perseids, August 2012: see our special report.
The August "Mars Hoax" is back for another round! (2011)
- See http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/25aug_marshoax/
- See also http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
- And http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090826-mars-hoax-full-moon-email.html
The Perseids, August 2011: see our special report.
Partial Solar Eclipse, June 1, 2011: see our special report.
Total Lunar Eclipse, December 21, 2010: see The Pocket Planetarium (476K PDF document) and the Monthly Sky for December 2010.
Don't fall for the August "Mars Hoax"! (2010)
- See http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/25aug_marshoax/
- See also http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
- And http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090826-mars-hoax-full-moon-email.html
The Perseids, August 2010: see our special report
The Perseids, August 2009: see our special report.
The August "Mars Hoax" Returns! (2009)
- See http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
- See also http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090826-mars-hoax-full-moon-email.html
The August "Mars Hoax" Strikes Again! (2008)
- See http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
- See also http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm
The Perseids, August 2008: see our special report.
Total Lunar Eclipse, February 20, 2008: see The Pocket Planetarium (570K PDF document)
Comet Holmes in outburst: see our special report.
Beware! The August "Mars Hoax" is Back!
- See http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
- See also http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm
The Perseids, August 2007: see our special report.
Total Lunar Eclipse, March 3, 2007: see The Pocket Planetarium (501K PDF document)
Transit of Mercury, November 8, 2006: see our special report.
Mars "as large as the full moon:" Beware of the hoax!
- See http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm
- See also http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
The Perseids, August 2006: see our special report.
Moon occults the Pleiades, early evening, April 1st: see The Pocket Planetarium (503K PDF document)
The Perseids, August 2005: see our special report.
See Comet Machholz in the Evening Sky:
- see The Pocket Planetarium (456K PDF document)
- see also article by Sky and Telescope and "Le ciel du mois de janvier" (in French)
Geminid meteor shower peaks Monday evening December 13: see article on Science@NASA
Moon occults Jupiter, early morning, December 7: see The Pocket Planetarium (558K PDF document)
Venus and Jupiter meet in the morning sky, November 5: see The Pocket Planetarium (558K PDF document)
Total Lunar Eclipse, October 27-28, 2004: see The Pocket Planetarium (558K PDF document)
The Perseids, August 2004: see The Pocket Planetarium (529K PDF document)
Transit of Venus, June 8, 2004: see our special report or The Pocket Planetarium (576K PDF document)
Total Lunar Eclipse, November 8, 2003: see The Pocket Planetarium (410K PDF document)
The Perseids, August 2003: see The Pocket Planetarium (505K PDF document)
Mars at Opposition, August 28, 2003: see The Pocket Planetarium (505K PDF document)
Total Lunar Eclipse, May 15, 2003: see The Pocket Planetarium (451K PDF document)

Credits. Last Modified: 2013-02-04